Data centres classified to skip public hearing, environmental impact study: activist
Environmentalist and Jal Biradari national convenor Bolisetty Satyanarayana on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) criticised the proposed data centre projects in Visakhapatnam, and disputed the assurance
Environmentalist and Jal Biradari national convenor Bolisetty Satyanarayana on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) criticised the proposed data centre projects in Visakhapatnam, and disputed the assurance by Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat that the projects would not pose environmental risks. Addressing a press conference at the Visakha Public Library, Mr. Satyanarayana alleged that the proposed mega data centres had been classified as Category B2 projects instead of Category A, avoiding mandatory public hearings and a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
He said projects of such scale should go through central-level appraisal and public consultation before environmental clearances were granted. He expressed concern over the projects’ water and power needs, warning that dependence on groundwater and desalination plants could affect marine ecosystems and fishermen’s livelihoods, and that higher electricity demand could strain the grid.
He also raised fears of rising urban temperatures from the loss of green cover and the heat generated by data centre operations. Drawing on large-scale data centre developments in
Northern Virginia in the United States, Mr. Satyanarayana called for stricter zoning rules, dedicated renewable energy sources, green buffer zones and an independent environmental audit before the projects proceed.
The BriefWire